The first in the Ladies of the Manor series, this Edwardian Era novel succeeds spectacularly in entertaining and inspiring the reader.
Here’s a brief summary of the plot:
Brook Eden has grown up in Monaco, in the palace of the Prince, cared for by her Maman, a former opera star. Her life has been idyllic, aside from the fact that she knows she is not Maman’s biological daughter, nor a member of the Grimaldi family that supports the two of them.
When her dearest friend, Justin Wildon (aka Lord Harlow), helps her discover her true identity, she has no idea the information will take her from the Mediterranean climate of Monaco to the damp, chilly hills of Yorkshire, England.
Meanwhile, the Earl of Whitby has been searching for his daughter since she disappeared after the car crash that killed her mother, his wife. Many imposters have come and gone, and anyone involved has become inured to the possibility that Brook could be the genuine heiress. How can she prove her identity when she’s not entirely sure of it herself?
What Brook finds at Whitby Park is more than a change of scenery and climate. The high society she must move in is skeptical of her pedigree and even the servants doubt her and plot against her. The saving grace is that the Earl accepts and adores her from the beginning.
Immediately upon her arrival in England, Brook is met with intrigue and conspiracy, greed and murder. She must discover the root of the problem and decide what can be done before the perpetrators kill her too. When she and Justin become distant due to unforeseen responsibilities within his family and their holdings, Brook must face her problems alone.
Why I liked this book:
I enjoyed this book because it is more than a light, historical romance. Well-written intrigue tangles the plot and vivid characters inhabit the story. Besides Brook and Justin, I especially like Lord Worthing, a high society son who actually lives out his faith.
An added bonus for me was learning about a brand of French known as Monegasque. The snippets of dialect thrown in add flavor to an already fascinating story.
The author includes just enough of the setting to give the reader a good grounding, bits of humor to lighten the mood, and a romantic line that is neither simple nor predictable. White also weaves in delicate threads of spiritual soundness that add another worthwhile dimension to the story.
The writing is excellent and the cover appealing. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with added depth. The story questions are answered for the time being, but there are broad hints to the next book. I look forward to it.
When you finish reading the book, make sure to read the author’s notes in the back. Apparently, this story began to take shape in the author’s mind many years ago when she was a girl. Many years and many edits later, we have a very commendable result in The Lost Heiress.
Roseanna M. White
Roseanna M. White grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, the beauty of which inspired her to begin writing as soon as she learned to pair subjects with verbs. She spent her middle and high school days penning novels in class, and her love of books took her to a school renowned for them.
After graduating from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, she and her husband moved back to the same mountains they equate with home.
Roseanna is the author of two biblical novels, A Stray Drop of Blood and Jewel of Persia, the historical romance, Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland, and the historical, romantic suspense Culper Ring Series (Ring of Secrets, Whispers from the Shadows, and Circle of Spies). She is also the senior reviewer at the Christian Review of Books, which she and her husband founded, the senior editor at WhiteFire Publishing, and a member of ACFW, HisWriters, and Colonial Christian Fiction Writers.
Janice L. Dick 